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Donate to the Club

Chances are if you’re reading this page then you may already support the SOC and the Club’s work in one form or another whether it’s submitting your records of Scotland’s wonderful bird life, buying your bird food from Waterston House, giving us your time as a volunteer or holding a membership to the SOC.

The SOC is an organisation built and led by volunteers. With only a handful of part-time staff, we are a small charity but we’re working hard to fulfil the Club’s overarching aim of promoting the study, enjoyment, recording and conservation of wild birds and their habitats across Scotland.

Ways we use your donation:

To encourage and develop a future generation of young naturalists

SOC is mindful of the seemingly widening gap between young people and nature conservation.

With a range of competing attractions and interests accessible at the click of a mouse, or the touch of a screen, our organisation recognises that we need to work harder and smarter to develop exciting and innovative ways to encourage and engage young naturalists to ensure that in the years to come, there will be another generation of birdwatchers recording, conserving and speaking up for Scotland’s birds.

To advance ornithological research and conservation

The Club operates two grant schemes: the Endowment Fund, providing financial support for ornithological fieldwork in Scotland, and The Birds of Scotland Fund, supporting ornithological publications and projects.

We’ve helped to finance everything from research into the breeding ecology of Ring Ouzels and a Capercaillie census, to major reference works such as national and regional bird atlases

To support bird monitoring initiatives

We work with partnership organisations to promote the practice of bird recording and record sharing e.g. BirdTrack.

To support Waterston House – more than just an administrative hub!

Featuring in the 2016 edition of Pete Irvine’s Scotland the Best guide, Waterston House, Aberlady, serves as a fantastic resource centre for birdwatchers, for beginners and experts alike. A recent sightings board, tide time tables, bird ID guides and friendly staff and volunteers are on hand to help visitors.

The centre also houses the George Waterston Library, the largest ornithological library in Scotland which is open to all for reference. Waterston House has also built a reputation as a successful art gallery, hosting exhibitions by leading wildlife artists from across the UK and beyond. Donations are an invaluable contribution towards the day-to-day running costs of the centre.

How to donate

You can donate to the SOC in lots of different ways, making it easy to support the Club's work.